A Quickie with Joni Lefkowitz

With a new web series, a pilot for HBO in post production, and a “Reality Bites for the MySpacegeneration” project in development, out writer-actor Joni Lefkowitz is oneof the women to watch in 2009.

Lefkowitz and her writing partner and co-star, Susanna Fogel, first gained notorietywith their wry YouTube videos in which they filmed themselves looking forparking, going for fast food, and complaining about the early picket line hoursduring the WGA writers’ strike.

Less than a year later, Lefkowitz and Fogel came up with the eponymousseries, Joni & Susanna which is now a part of the originalprogramming line up on TheWB.com, Warner Bros’ video-on-demandwebsite.

Lefkowitz talked to AfterEllen recently about her new show and its depictionof the darker side of women’s friendships; lesbian films; and why being gayisn’t interesting enough to be the focus of her work.

AfterEllen: Congratulations on yournew original web series Joni & Susanna. What’s it about?Joni Lefkowitz: It’s basically about two co-dependent best friends whosecretly don’t want the other one to be ahead of them in life. So, there’s alot of passive aggression and subtly sabotaging of the other one, so thatneither one of us is ahead in life. But at all times, we’re like: “This ismy best friend. I love her!”

AE: Well, that’s healthy. Please tellme you’re commenting on the stereotype that women don’t support each other, andnot just acting like two bitches.JL: Yes. Unfortunately, I think that stereotypecan happen a lot. Usually, when you see it on TV, it’s veryobvious. But I think it’s a little more subtle than that in real life. It’susually about the jealousy we have with each other and an underlying competitivenessin real life.

AE: How long have you beencollaborating with your frenemy/co-star/writing partner, Susanna Fogel.

JL: We met at a sketch comedy class at Second Cityin LA in 2002. We sort of bonded by making fun of the other people in class, aswe do on our show. That was where I discovered that writing was what I wantedto do.

AE: And Susanna is straight. How muchof a gay-straight alliance is the show?JL: It’s not made into a huge deal. We wanted to make a point of notcalling much attention to the fact that I’m gay on it. We have one episodewhere I come out to my mom, but other than that, it’s dealt with very casually.We wanted that to be one thing about our friendship that we don’t really havean issue.

AE: Lesbian-straight girl friendshipshaven’t been explored as frequently as the Will& Gracedynamic.JL: Lesbians and straight girls are the perfect marriage because thelesbian isn’t a threat to the straight girl’s game, and the straight girl getsvalidation from the thought that if she were gay, the lesbian would want to bewith her.

AE: They don’t bother imaginingthey’re gay – deep down, they think we want them. I think it’s the other wayaround.JL: I guess it’s just perfect for the straight girl, actually.